Line Technician Dies after Ramp Accident

A line technician died on February 14 after the tug he was driving backed into the wing of a Falcon 900EX at Naples Airport in Florida. Dave Biltz, 44, had been on the job two months, working for the Naples Airport Authority, the airport’s FBO. Biltz had been working as a spotter, but was asked to service the Falcon’s lavatory. While towing a lavatory cart, he backed toward the Falcon’s left wing, said a spokeswoman. “When the wing edge hit the back of Biltz’s seat, he was knocked forward and reportedly hit the accelerator, such that the additional power dragged him partway under the wing, rotating the plane about 20 degrees.” Although Biltz was conscious, his back was hurt and he had trouble breathing, the spokeswoman said. First responders quickly arranged a life flight to a trauma center in Fort Myers, but he died at the hospital after an apparent heart attack during the flight.